Tennis-racket and the like.



S. GJLEWIS. TENNIS RACKET AND THE LIKE. APPLICATION FILED-DEC-2'9, 1916.

1,279,720. v V Patentdfiept. 24,1915.

UNITED s'ra rns rgran r onrron.

SENECA G. LEWIS, or czmnnsmme, PENNSYLVANIA.

TENNI$RAGKET AND THE LIKE.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, SENECA G. LEWIS, residin at Greensburg, in the county of VVestmore and and State of Pennsylvania, a citizen of the United States, have invented or discovered certain new and useful Improvements in Tennis-Rackets and the like, of which improvements the following is a specification.

My invention consists in a new article of manufacture: a tennis racket or like article of which the stringing consists of vegetable fiber coated with rubber.

In an application for Letters Patent of the UnitedStates filed by me November 3, 1916 Serial No. 129,405, I have described and claimed racket stringing formed of catgut; the material now commonly used for the purpose, but catgut coated or sized with rubber. And I now find that such coating or sizing makes possible the use of various materials not otherwise adequate as substitutes for the catgut. In a second and companion case to this, Serial No. 132,270 I describe and claim a racket stringing of rubber coated wire, and in this application I de-' scribe and claim a racket. stringing of rubber-coated vegetable fiber. By virtue of a rubber coating vegetable fi'ber becomes available to afford an adequate and durable racket-stringing material.

The vegetable fiberemployed may be such as preferred, but ordinarily well made finely twisted cottonand linen cords will be found to be most serviceable. The rubber may be applied as and after the manner described in my other applications referred to. be applied in the form of thin sheets or strips wrapped upon the completed cord or upon the component strands of which the cord is ultimately composed; or it may, and

preferably will, be applied by causing the cord (or the still un'assembled strands) to pass through a liquid solution of rubber. Since the fibrous cord or strand is porous, the rubber solution will not merely effect a coating but it will to some degree at least penetrate the fibrous substance, filling it and forming in consequence an integrated and closely adhering coating. The solvent for the rubber in such a solution as is here contemplated may be such as is desired: bisulfite of carbon, chloroform, ether, naphtha or It may Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 24, 1918.

Application filed December 29, 1916. Serial No. 139,549.

another solvent. The strength of the solution and its fluidity or viscosity will be adapted to afford a coating of desired penetration into the fiber and of desired thickness upon the cord or strand. As the coated cord or strand passes from the bath, it may pass between wiping, spreading and compressing instrumentalities such as desired-- between rolls, for example or through a dierackets and like articles, or it may be woven,

twisted, wrapped, braided or otherwise combined with other strands, like itself or unlike, to produce the stringing desired.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying sheet of drawings inwhich Figures 1 and 2 show two formsof rubber coated vegetable fiber, and Fig. 3 shows a face view of a tennis racket'equipped with my im roved stringing.

In ig. 1, the fiber l is provided with a rubbed coating in the form of a thin sheet or strip wrapped upon the completed cord;

while in Fig. 2 the rubber coating 3 is such as results from passing the cord through a liquid solution of rubber.

I have spoken of tennis rackets and like articles, and in Fig. 3 I have shown a tennis racket 4. However in this phraseJI mean to include rackets used in various games, lacrosse sticks, snow shoes, and other articles consisting of a frame and stringing drawn taut upon it.

I claim as my invention A tennis racket or like article consisting of a frame strung with a stringing of rubberco'atcd vegetable fiber.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

. SENECA G. LEWIS.

\Vitnesses: \VALTER B. TooLn,

G. W. DUNN. 

